Church of the Faithful
by HimeLoliKawaii
Summary: Maryweather of the Faithful, guildmaster of the largest guild in The World, works alongside Balmung and Cho, a "Research and Infiltration Operative", to bring her rogue assistant to justice under the charter of the Church of the Faithful. OC.
1. Chapter 1

AN: So, forgive the fact that this is an OC fanfiction because I wouldn't usually write them but I was just struck with inspiration after watching some .hack// legend of the twilight and so I decided to write in and around that time. . . so, here it is. I hope you enjoy.

**Church of the Faithful**

**Chapter 1**

**Server: Iota**

**Root Town: Flanoire**

**Log In-**

**User: Maryweather**

**Class: Wavemaster**

**Administrator Note: Guildmaster of Church of the Faithful guild**

**Log In Completed.**

**Welcome to **_**The World.**_

A flash of white light forces my eyes into slits. _Why do the administrators always make the sun so bright in the Root Towns? I'll have to bring it up with Balmung. _

**Mirielle: Good morning, Mary-chan!**

**Maryweather: Greetings, Mirielle. Though I do not wish to correct you anymore, please do not call me Mary-chan. I am Maryweather of the Faithful. Do you understand?**

**Mirielle: … Yes, Mary-cha—er—Maryweather of the Faithful**.

I see Mirielle give a slight bow even through my half-closed eyes. I step toward her into the shade of the large backdrop buildings surrounding the Chaos Gate. My eyes open fully in the shadow and I see Mirielle grinning widely up at me, her staff leaning casually against the wall of a brick building.

**Mirielle: Today we tackle RANCID FLEEING SHADOW, right?**

**Maryweather: That is indeed the plan, Mirielle. Remember, as a hired hand of the Church of the Faithful Guild, you are required to stay at my side the entire time. I forbid you from wandering off to find rare items, and if we happen to encounter any items of value on our journey it will go to the Church of the Faithful, not to your greedy stock of artifacts. Do you understand me, Mirielle?**

**Mirielle: Of course, Maryweather of the Faithful. Now, shall we depart?**

Mirielle sweeps her hand in an extravagant gesture toward the Chaos Gate. A huge, childish grin sweeps across her face and she winks quickly, her eyes flashing with cunning intent.

**Maryweather: Perhaps I have made a mistake… **

**RANCID FLEEING SHADOW**

A thick purple mist all around us conceals the landscape: all that is visible is the fog, churning and impenetrable-feeling. Mirielle stands, flabbergasted, in front of me and I see peripherally that Xio is poking the roiling mist with the tip of his Winged Blade of Flanoire (An exclusive item won in the Flanoire battle competitions held last year). _Maybe hiring two helpers with no cleansing experience was unwise._

**Maryweather: Rip Param! **

A shimmering white ball of light bubbles up from my staff, which is held high above my head, and floats slowly upward. Then, as if popped with an invisible needle, the ball explodes with a rippling wave of warm, shining light. The fog seems to fight against the light at first, writhing against it, refusing to be pushed away, but it is soon dominated and the light forms a glowing ring around the other two and I. The fog continues to froth at its edge, seemingly to try and find a way inside. I hold my staff aloft, the Staff of the Faithful, an item created personally for my use as the leader of the largest and strongest guild in _The World _and step forward, the ring moving with me. Mirielle, startled, jumps slightly, attempting to stay within the ring and Xio, unfazed, steps nonchalantly forward at my side.

**Maryweather: Stay close. For if you leave the sanctuary of the ring I will not hold myself responsible for your loss of life.**

For what seems like hours we walk, our silence only broken by Mirielle's occasional complaining and my occasional recasting of the spell for the protecting ring. Then, soon after my third recasting of the spell, Xio cries out in alarm, his arm extended toward something outside the circle. And there, within the fog, sits a dark figure, a pitch black shape in the purple smog. Mirielle quickly places herself in an offensive position, her staff sizzling with magical energy, and Xio draws his blade, lowering it to within inches of his own face, his mouth a grim line. I plant my own staff firmly on the ground and place my hands higher on its shaft.

**Maryweather: Expand!**

The ring of white light around us shutters, slightly recoils, and then begins to grow outward, turning the cramped circle into a space with enough room to allow 10 people to stand comfortably. The shadowy paw of the large creature sits just outside the ring now and as the circle continues to expand, it begins to push over the paw. But, the paw does not enter easily into the ring of light. The shadow around its extremities seems to push against the light, pushing and pulling against it as I continue to grow the ring. More and more the shadow is shed off the creature and a huge lion-like monster begins to take shape in the circle of light. A humongous cavernous mouth hangs open and two snake-like fangs hang from the roof of its mouth and sit atop its bottom lip. Two miniscule black dots serve as memories of eyes, but I know that is a blind beast. The ring expands to completely enclose the beast within it and I lower my hands to their normal positions on the shaft of the staff.

**Maryweather: It is blind! Move little and speak less and it will be unable to detect you… for the most part.**

A grunt from the beast and then a prickling of the hair atop its back shows its agitated state. The creature's haunches rise from the ground and it looks even larger as it moves blindly toward us, its large black nose twitching right to left. I stand, frozen not from fear but from strategy, as the creature moves into range for a spell.

**Maryweather: Die, beast! Do not plague this land any longer! Vulcan Pha! OrAni Zot! OrLei Zas!**

Three huge, explosive noises echo through the air as, in quick succession, the spells free themselves from my staff and whistle at high velocity through the air toward the beast: a white-hot fireball, a bubbling, silver mercury-like mass, and a bolt of lightning in the shape of a stretching spear. The three spells make a fierce impact with the beast and it is blown backwards, hitting the ring of light and, sizzling from the power of the protective aura, it is flung forward again, landing with a large _THUMP _onto the ground_._ Crackles of lightning continue to flee across its body, ending themselves into the ground.

**Mirielle:** **PhaRue Kruz****!**

A large bubble of water flies over my head as Mirielle's spell moves across the ring to crash atop the creature, water sloshing against the sides of the ring but staying contained inside. Xio, no doubt intending to end the creature and take the experience therein, moves to run toward it, his sword held aloft. I block him with the butt of my staff and glare at him: _This is for _the _Church of the Faithful. Not for the greedy, undeserving likes of you. _He lowers his head in understanding and steps back, flourishing his hand as if to say, _be my guest._

**Maryweather: Wryneck Pha.**

My staff begins to bubble and change in my grasp, the large extravagant star which sits atop it elongates and changes consistency: no longer a soft, carved wood but a cold, hard metal. A scythe begins to take shape and it fully forms as I move purposefully toward the beast twitching pathetically on the ground across the circle of clean space. I raise the glistening metal weapon above my head and, my eyes closed in respect, plunge it into the breast of the creature.

Ending Note: So, above all else, comment. The reason I want you to comment is because I'm tentative about continuing this story and so if noone is reading it I'm not going to bother writing more chapters. But, if there is some nice comments I think I can manage a chapter a week... maybe.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Continuing Session-**

**User: Maryweather **

**Flanoire**

The Church of the Faithful is the largest guild in all of [the World], so large that the administrators of _the World_ have provided it with the largest venue in all of Flanoire: what was once a mock cathedral, a backdrop, is now the Church of the Faithful headquarters, and my home. I step through the large crowd of Church members gathered in the small square in front of the cathedral. As I sweep past them, the members of the Church bow: a proper sign of respect for their leader. Mirielle and Xio trail behind me and together we create a path to the cathedral, a crowd of followers parting as we pass.

**Maryweather: Good morning, my Faithful. **

The cathedral door opens in front of us and my attendant, Lillith, pokes her head through the entrance. With a small, polite smile she welcomes us inside and closes the huge wooden door behind us. She wears long robes of purest white and carries a long arm weapon at her side.

**Lillith: Greetings, Madam Maryweather. Was your quest successful?**

** Maryweather: It was. RANCID FLEEING SHADOW is no longer plagued with the purple fog.**

Lillith claps her hands together and beams up at me brightly.

**Maryweather: Brilliant, Madam.**

She follows us as we make our way past the pews to the altar. I motion for her not to follow as we move past the altar, entering my study through a hidden door built into the stone wall.

**Maryweather: Please enter, Mirielle, Xio.**

They make their way into my study and Mirielle stops, amazed, gazing at my collection of artifacts. Two huge bookcases filled with old, new, and rare texts cover the side walls and an array of weapons, potions, armor, and other artifacts completely covers the back wall. I make my way to my desk and sit down with my back to the wall of artifacts. Mirielle and Xio still stand in the center of the room, Xio's eyes on the weapons, Mirielle's on the other rare items. I look down at the new documents strewn across my desk.

**Maryweather: Now, to the matter of your payment. 50,000 gold each is our agreed payment and so that is what you shall receive. I will have it sent straight to your inventory.**

I look up and see both of the hired hands still stand in the center of my study, staring at my wall of artifacts.

**Maryweather: That is all.**

Mirielle lowers her eyes to meet mine.

** Mirielle: Would it be possible to receive my payment in the form of artifacts?**

I chuckle.

**Maryweather: Do you think any of these artifacts are worth that low of a sum? I think the least expensive of these items is 500,000 gold. No chance. Forgive me, but I must ask you to leave now, I have much work to do.**

I motion the two to leave. They hesitate for a few seconds but then exit through the small door into the church's main room. I wait a few seconds and hear the front doors of the cathedral open and close with a clatter and I am left to look over my paperwork. Balmung has sent me a notice of a future event: a Valentine's Day event. I stand, the memo in hand, walk through the door and hand the memo to Lillith.

**Maryweather: Post this on the notice board. I think some of our members will be interested in a treasure hunting event. **

** Lillith: Yes, Madam Maryweather.**

Lillith gives a small curtsy. As I turn back toward my study the cathedral doors fly open behind me and strike the stone walls on either side with a _CRACK._ I swivel around and see a party of three long arms entering the cathedral. The one opening the doors raises his weapon high above his head and shouts:

** Thelos: The Church of the Faithful will fall!**

**Server: Iota**

**Root Town: Flanoire**

**Sign In-**

**User: Thelos**

**Class: Long Arm**

**Administrator Note: Known leader of the Steel Arms**

**Log In Completed.**

**Welcome to **_**the World**_**.**

The tall buildings surrounding the Chaos Gate cast long shadows across the hard surface of the stone ground. A cluster of newbie players stand close by, chattering about the realism of the scenery or their character models. I emerge into the sunlight of the pathway toward the town center and begin to walk through the crowds of other users. A hubbub of excited conversation about the coming Valentine's Day event is clearly audible above all else in the crowded walkway. I feel sharp jabs of daggers and sword hilts through my armored side as I push through the mob. I soon turn into an alleyway leading off the main way. The alley is almost empty except a few Informants and Traders concealed in dark robes or cowls. They whisper with grunt, raspy voices at me as I stride past, I hold my coin pouch with one hand and inconspicuously place my other hand on the shaft of my long arm. I manage to exit the alley without an attempted pickpocket and quickly pass through another bustling walkway and into a small alcove. A reinforced metal door stands without description alone in the small space. I knock two times and a low, grumbling voice answers.

**Raine: State your business.**

**Thelos: To strike down the Faithful and regain fairness in **_**the World**_**.**

I knock three more times on the door and it swings open. A tall, slim girl with long, ebony hair and pure black eyes stands demurely in the doorframe. She holds a winged halberd in her hand and the other hand waves nonchalantly at me.

**Raine: Thelos. Welcome. You're late.**

**Thelos: Forgive me; I had issues in the real world. **

I turn quickly away from her and walk deliberately down the dark hallway.

**Raine: Oh? Please elaborate, Thelos.**

I swing around and stare coldly into Raine's glinting black eyes.

**Thelos: Do not test me, Raine. You know that it is forbidden to talk of the real world as a member of the Steel Arms; and you also know that we have no time to talk of such things in the current situation. We are undertaking the most extreme action that the Steel Arms have ever endeavored to do and you are speaking of things that do not matter. Now, come with me to wake Valerio so we can be on our way.**

A voice echoes into the hallway from a side room.

**Valerio: Don't bother. **

Valerio pokes his head into the hallway.

**Valerio: I'm already up.**

He grins a huge, toothy grin and then withdraws his head quickly back into the room. Raine, in complete silence, has moved directly next to me in the shadows.

**Raine: Why does he insist on pretending that he sleeps? **

**Thelos: He says it makes it seem more real if he lies down and closes his eyes for a bit before moving around in **_**the World**_**. He says it's like he really had a full night's sleep here.**

**Raine: He's such a sappy fool.**

**Valerio: But I'm your sappy chump.**

Valerio throws a large, muscular arm around Raine's shoulders and she shrugs it off. _Why are they acting like this is no big deal!?_

**Thelos: Excuse me; can you please stop acting like today is any other day? This is the most important day of our lives in **_**the World**_** and we must be prepared!**

Valerio turns to me, his smirk now replaced with a line of a mouth.

**Valerio: Let's get to it, then.**

We set out at midday, when our actions would be most visible, to make the most impact on the onlooking crowd. We each hold 10 potions of healing in our inventories as we walk through crowds of people clogging up the pathways on our way to the huge cathedral of the Church of the Faithful. A few newbie players stop and gawk or else cling to our armor, attempting to persuade us to give "a poor, pathetic noob" 100 gold. We simply ignore them and they wander off soon enough. The tip of the cathedral's roof quickly comes into view atop the buildings and we step quickly into the small square where the Church of the Faithful gather, in front of their hallowed headquarters. I move even quicker forward and just as I reach the bottom steps that ascend slightly to the door of the cathedral, the wooden doors swing open and a wavemaster and a heavy blade exit, their faces stoic. I stand perfectly still for a few seconds, contemplating my next actions. And then I run forward with Raine and Valerio walking slightly behind me and shove the great wooden doors open with both hands.

A slight, crimson-robed woman standing next to the altar in the back of the cathedral swivels around and her companion, a white-robed, even smaller girl, reflexively drops a flyer from her hand and draws a white, carved wooden staff from a sheath on her back. Maryweather of the Faithful, the crimson-robed woman, summons a long, shimmering staff out of thin air and funnels crackling magical energy into the crystals glowing brightly on top of the staff. I hold my spear above my head and open my mouth to speak. . .


	3. Chapter 3

**Continuing Session-**

**User: Maryweather**

**Flanoire**

**Thelos: We are here to return fairness and equality to all members of the game known as **_**the World**_** and we will slay any and all Church of the Faithful members until the guild is disbanded!**

The center man, Thelos, lowers his spear and points it at me, his passionate eyes meeting mine across the huge room.

**Thelos: Maryweather of the Faithful, leader and founder of the Church of the Faithful, prepare to be slain for the first time in all of your time in **_**the World**_**. I will take great pleasure in seeing your health reach '0'**.

I smirk, knowing that showing any other reaction would not be nearly as intimidating to the crazed man standing in the doorway of my church. I twirl my staff flamboyantly and his piercing eyes blaze with an even stronger flame than before.

**Maryweather: You will not leave here, Thelos. And neither will your friends. Prepare to die.**

The man rushes forward and holds his spear out to stab me. I teleport across the room with a portal charm I bought off a high-priced trader and hold my spear out.

**Maryweather: King of the Goblins, I summon thee!**

A black, swirling portal of dark energy materializes in front of me as the man twists around and runs at me again. I teleport again across the room and for the first time notice Lillith fending off the other long arms with barrier spells: keeping them contained just outside the cathedral doors. The long arms are casting counter spells but Lillith is summoning new barriers before they can make any progress into the cathedral. I check to see the leader long arm struggling with the Goblin King I summoned and I turn my attention to the others.

**Maryweather:**** PhaGan Zot!**

A large pillar of earth erupts from the ground directly in front of the cathedral doorway, cracking and breaking the front steps in the entrance. The earth spreads into a wall that completely blocks the doorway, barring the long arms outside. Cries of outraged Faithful fill the air as they have their chance to descend on the rogues. Spells and the clanging of metal on metal rings even into the cathedral's interior. A crash behind me informs me that my Goblin King has fallen. _That's okay, I didn't expect it to last very long._

The long arm man stands triumphantly with the butt of his spear on the Goblin King's chest and his boot on one large, green leg.

**Thelos: Don't you see, Maryweather of the Faithful? You're fancy magic tricks cannot end me as you think. I am too strong to be slain by the likes of you! I am Thelos of the Steel—**

A crack of lightning roars deafeningly around inside the cathedral and the man stumbles, then slumps forward onto the corpse of the summoned monster. I turn to see Lillith shaking uneasily next to the earth door, her staff held high and her eyes squeezed shut.

**Lillith: Do not speak in that way to Madam Maryweather.**

Lillith's eyes open slowly and tentatively.

**Lillith: She is a better player than you will ever be.**

Lillith's eyes shut again and she lowers her staff. Her teeth grind against each other as she speaks:

**Lillith: I will never allow someone to attempt to desecrate our Church of the Faithful. We will stand against all those who defy it. For we are holy: the true masters of this place: **_**the World**_**!**

At this moment I realized that Lillith was not to be trusted with such a high position in the Church. She had put her whole life into _the World _and if she couldn't have it work the way she wanted, she would rather slay anyone who got in her way.

In the coming days I devised a plan to disguise a demotion as a promotion and transfer Lillith to a smaller Church headquarters located in a different root town. Lillith loyally agreed, as I knew she would, but on the day of her transfer she never logged on to _the World_ and did not for a long time after. I promoted another Church member to the position of my personal assistant and all was calm for three years in which I essentially ruled the World from my place as the leader of the Church of the Faithful. But, then something happened which changed the flow of _the World_ forever.

**Conversation Log: **_**the World**_** Administration Headquarters**

**Balmung: I believe that it is time to raid the hideout of the Steel Arms.**

**Cho: But Balmuuuuuuuuuuuung, I don't wanna yet.**

** Balmung: And why not?**

**Cho: I have other plans for the Steel Arms. . . Please allow me to act in the way that I find most befitting.**

** Balmung: That was quite a change in vocabulary, Cho.**

**Cho: Well, if one is to be able to infiltrate newbie hacker circles, Vagrant AI scam rings, and rogue PK groups, one must be able to act in a way matching one's character. Don't you think?**

** Balmung: Cho, you are quite an impressive young lady.**

** Cho: Oh, Balmung, you flatter me so.**

**Server: Iota**

**Root Town: Flanoire**

**Log In-**

**User: Cho**

**Class: Twin Blade**

**Administrator Note: Special Research and Infiltration Operative (See Administrator Reference Book Pg. 312) **

**Log In Completed.**

**Welcome to **_**the World**_**.**

A small dark room is vaguely illuminated by crackling white snow on computer monitors. My home is a hovel on the south side of Flanoire, hardly a home at all, but anything larger would stand out for a newbie player to own. And I am, for all intensive purposes, a newbie. Visibly, my level is 3, my skills are low, and I lack any powerful items. However, with a simple typed command I can transform into one of the most admired administration operatives for Research and Infiltration. But, for right now, I am a newbie: level 3.

**Greylon: Yo, Cho! The event is starting soon!**

** Cho: Coming!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Server: Iota**

**Root Town: Flanoire**

**Sign In-**

**User: Maryweather**

**Class: Wavemaster**

**Administrator Note: Guildmaster of Church of the Faithful guild**

**Log In Completed.**

**Welcome to **_**the World**_**.**

I gaze over the cherry blossom copse, the soft, powdery pink petals floating drowsily down onto the heads of the players sitting beneath the trees on blankets or cross-legged on bare ground. White, downy feathers sweep past my face and I look peripherally at the character standing next to me: Descendant of Fianna, Balmung of the Azure Sky. He notices me looking and turns, his dark, half-concealed eyes fixating on mine.

**Balmung: Yes?**

** Maryweather: Um… Forgive me, I did not mean to stare.**

** Balmung: It's fine.**

Balmung faces the copse again, surveying the event. He plops down, ungracefully onto a blanket beneath him and pulls a bottle of sake from his inventory, he clasps it tentatively in his hand and then retrieves a glass in the same way.

**Balmung: Don't be so uptight, have some sake!**

** Maryweather: Balmung, the .hackers… I can see them.**

Balmung's eyes shrink to slits and he leans forward and gazes through the boughs of the cherry blossom trees below. A boy with a flamboyant orange hat sits cross-legged on a mat, a werewolf (wolf form) practically in his lap. He is laughing jubilantly and petting the character like a dog. Balmung gives a slight smile. He leans back against the tree we are sitting under and looks up at the sky, takes a gulp of sake, and releases a hearty laugh into the treetop above us. He continues for a while and I stare at the boy, now joined by a girl with pink hair, petting the werewolf and prancing around, the cherry blossom petals twirling exquisitely around them. Balmung stops laughing and looks drunkenly at me.

**Maryweather: That sake is not real, Balmung. You need not pretend to be intoxicated around me.**

**Balmung: You're no fun…**

**Balmung reaches his hand out and touches my face. I recoil.**

**Maryweather: Please do not.**

**Balmung: Fine, then. Tell me what it is you wanted to say to me today.**

**Maryweather: She has been spotted.**

He stares at me quizzically.

**Balmung: Who?**

**Maryweather: The girl, Lillith. She must be apprehended and her account terminated: the rules of the Church of the Faithful state that insubordination will result in suspension from **_**the World**_** or permanent deletion. In this case, deletion seems the most appropriate. I need your help, however, to delete this character.**

**Balmung: What did she do that was so wrong? **

**Maryweather: That has been handled internally. I am not asking for your opinion on my actions, I am simply requesting that you do your job. This character has broken the rules agreed upon when she entered the guild and all level and item gains made while in the guild must be removed from her character: and the only way of achieving this is to delete her character. If she wishes to play **_**the World**_** so very much, she is able to create a new account, however she will have to start over. So, will you do your job? **

Balmung sits silently next to me. A cry of joy from the boy below echoes along the valley and Balmung smiles again.

**Balmung: Well, I don't really have much of a choice: I am a system administrator.**

**Maryweather: Indeed you are. The best there is.**

Balmung reaches out his hand and a pink petal falls delicately atop his creamy skin.

**Balmung: Hm, the cherry blossoms look even better this year. I'd better give the programmer a bonus.**

**Reki: Balmung-san!**

**Maryweather: I do not wish to encounter that pestering assistant of yours. Goodbye, Balmung of the Azure Sky.**

**Balmung: It was nice to see you, Maryweather of the Faithful.**

A triangle of white, shining light surrounds me and I dissolve into the data of _the World_ as Reki rushes his master.

**Reki: There you are! I've been looking all over for you!**


End file.
